Abstract: Provided herein is a superabsorbent polyHIPE composition-of-matter comprising a majority of ionizable pendant groups, capable of absorbing up to 300-fold by mass water while exhibiting a notable mechanical strength in both the dry and wet form, as well as various uses thereof.

Abstract: A method of applying proof of lottery to select block forgers in a blockchain, comprising performing the following at a certain one of a plurality of computing nodes connected to a blockchain network: (1) transmitting one or more of a plurality of participation transactions submitted by at least some of the plurality of computing nodes for participating in selection process conducted to select forgers from the plurality of computing nodes to forge blocks to be added to the blockchain; (2) determining a respective forger, during each selection process, by applying a selection function to an outcome of a hash function and a plurality of participation transactions extracted from a first subset of blocks preceding the respective block, the hash function is applied to a second subset of blocks preceding the respective block; and (3) forging the respective block in case the certain computing node is selected as the respective forger.

Abstract: A tracking system, comprising: multiple beacons, each associated with a different cyclic equivalence class of code-word length n, and each configured to broadcast a bit-stream comprising a repeating code-word, where the code-word belongs to the associated cyclic equivalence class; and a mobile tracking unit, comprising: a sensor, and a processor, wherein the sensor is configured to simultaneously detects at least some of the bit streams, and provide each sensed bit stream in real-time to the processor, wherein for each bit-stream received by the processor from the sensor, the processor is configured to identify the beacon that broadcasted the bit-stream using the first n received bits.

Abstract: Provided are physico-chemical processes for continuous and simultaneous water disinfection, oxidation of off flavor agents, minimization of trihalomethane (THM) production, reduction of nitrate and nitrite production and oxidation of ammonia so as to remove nitrogen species, in saline (for example, seawater) based aquaculture systems. The aquaculture system may be any handling/storage/transport system, for example, recirculated aquaculture systems (RAS), for fish or other aquaculture species.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus (20) includes an interface (50) and a processor (30). The interface is configured to receive a sequence of images of an object (38) acquired at respective acquisition times, the object is labeled with fluorescent emitters. The images depict intensity fluctuations of emitters on an acquisition grid, and the intensity fluctuations being uncorrelated among the emitters and during an overall time over which the images in the sequence are acquired. The a processor is configured to calculate a temporal correlation function of the intensity fluctuations over the sequence of images, and to estimate locations of the emitters on a super-resolution grid having a higher resolution than the acquisition grid, by applying to the temporal correlation function a recovery process in which the locations on the super-resolution grid are assumed to be sparse or compressible in a predefined domain. The recovery process includes a sparse-recovery process or a regularized process.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a peptide comprising an epitope within the macrophage scavenger receptor B-I, a method of using the same, a nucleic acid encoding the same and an antibody that binds to the epitope.

Abstract: A new class of pseudo-trisaccharide aminoglycosides having an alkyl group at the 5? position, exhibiting efficient stop codon mutation readthrough activity, low cytotoxicity and high selectivity towards eukaryotic translation systems are provided. Also provided are pharmaceutical compositions containing the same, and uses thereof in the treatment of genetic disorders, as well as processes of preparing these aminoglycosides. The disclosed aminoglycosides can be represented by the general formula I: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1 is selected from the group consisting of alkyl, cycloalkyl and aryl; and all other variables and features are as described in the specification.

Abstract: This invention is directed to intramolecular crosslinked polymer chains, commonly known also as single-chain polymer nanoparticles (SCPNs), with high resistance to mechanochemical bond scission and to uses thereof in solution.

Abstract: A method for planning a current medical procedure to be performed on a body part of a current patient includes obtaining a current first representation of a surface of the body part of the current patient, and either obtaining a representation of a desired result surface for the current medical procedure or selecting parameters for the current medical procedure. The method further includes retrieving at least one best matching record from a database of records of previously performed medical procedures of previous patients, based on a similarity criterion. Each record includes: parameters of a previously performed procedure of the previously performed medical procedures, a first representation of the body part of the previous patient prior to performance of the previously performed procedure, and a second representation of a body part of the previous patient after the performance of the previously performed procedure.

Abstract: A method of expanding and maintaining human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) in an undifferentiated state by culturing the ESCs in a suspension culture under culturing conditions devoid of substrate adherence is provided. Also provided are a method of deriving ESC lines in the suspension culture and methods of generating lineage-specific cells from ESCs which were expanded in the suspension culture of the present invention.

Abstract: A method for estimating a plurality of camera, comprising using at least one processor executing a code for: extracting a plurality of image features of a plurality of landmarks from a plurality of images captured by at least one camera from at least one pose, the plurality of landmarks calibrated with respect to a certain coordinate system; identifying among the plurality of image features at least one image feature documented in at least some of the images; producing scale values of at least one common image feature by analyzing the at least some of the images; determining a plurality of estimated poses of the at least one camera with respect to the certain coordinate system by using the scale values in calculating a minimal re-projection error between the plurality of image features and a plurality of predicted image features; and outputting the plurality of estimated poses.

Abstract: A system for converting an input oscillation having an input frequency into an output oscillation having an output frequency is disclosed. The system comprises: a controller configured for receiving the input oscillation and responsively generating a multi-component drive signal. A frequency of at least one component of the drive signal is other than two times the input frequency. In some embodiments, a frequency of another component of the drive signal equals about two times the output frequency. The system also comprises an oscillator for generating pump oscillations responsively to the drive signal and applying parametric excitation to the input oscillation at the pump oscillations.

Abstract: A method and control system for controlling unmanned aerial vehicles to fly in coordinated manner, comprises arranging the unmanned aerial vehicles, each of which has an illumination element in a flying formation, and operating selected illumination elements to produce a display in which a pattern, shape or letters or words are detectable at a predetermined ground location.

Abstract: A system comprising: a camera configured to capture one or more images of a user's hand; and a computer configured to: receive the one or more captured images, apply a mapping function to the received one or more images, thereby yielding one or more coordinates associated with at least one feature of the user's hand, wherein the mapping function is derived from a set of labeled images that are produced by applying a machine learning algorithm to training data which comprises images of a trainer's hand, wherein the images are labeled with coordinates obtained from multiple magnetic sensors attached to the trainer's hand.

Abstract: Single bulk unimorph piezoelectric elements, with interdigitated electrodes aligned obliquely relative to the direction perpendicular to the axis of the element, such that a torsional response is induced into the element. When such elements are used as a beam structure, with angularly oriented electrodes on both opposite surfaces of the beam, and with their orientations at mutually opposite angles, motion ranging from pure torsional rotation to pure bending can be obtained, depending on the comparative level and polarity of the voltages applied to each of the two electrode sets. If such elements are used as the spiral support arms of a central platform, a large displacement of the stage can be achieved. Due to the oblique orientation of the IDE's, the piezoelectric transduction induces torsional deformation in the spirals, and this torsion is converted by the spiral arms to a parallel out-of-plane platform motion.

Abstract: A communication system is provided. The communication system supports higher data rates Beyond 4th-Generation (4G) communication system such as Long Term Evolution (LTE). A first apparatus in a wireless communication system is provided. The apparatus includes an antenna array, at least one transceiver, and at least one processor. The transceiver is configured to transmit signals by using a beam set, and receive a signal for indicating at least one beam in the beam set from a second apparatus. The processor is configured to determine an auxiliary beam pair, based on the at least one beam. The transceiver is configured to transmit reference signals to the second apparatus by using the auxiliary beam pair, and receive feedback information relating to the auxiliary beam pair from the second apparatus. The at least one processor is configured to determine, based on the feedback information, a communication direction relating to the second apparatus.

Abstract: Provided are novel serum-free culture media which comprise basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), transforming growth factor beta-3 and ascorbic acid at a concentration of at least about 50 microgram/ml; ascorbic acid at a concentration range of about 400-600 microgram/ml, bFGF at a concentration range of about 50-200 ng/ml, xeno-free serum replacement and a lipid mixture; the IL6RIL6 chimera at a concentration range of about 50-200 picogram per milliliter (pg/ml); or leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) at a concentration of at least 2000 units/ml; cell cultures comprising same with pluripotent stem cells such as human embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, and methods of using same for expanding pluripotent stem cells in an undifferentiated state using two-dimensional or three-dimensional culture systems; and methods of expanding iPS cells in a suspension culture devoid of substrate adherence and cell encapsulation.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and probiotic compositions for the treatment of a metabolic disease or disorder such as, e.g., obesity, type 2 diabetes, or fatty liver. In some embodiments, heat-inactivated Parabacteroides goldsteinii is enterically administered to a subject, such as a human patient, to treat the metabolic disease or disorder or to promote the development of warm microbiota to treat the metabolic disease or disorder. In some aspects, spermine or spermidine may be administered to a subject or used in vitro to promote the growth of microbiota that can be used for the treatment of a metabolic disease or disorder.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods for producing a clonal population of cells involving: a) obtaining a population of pluripotent or multipotent cells that have been expanded in vitro and maintained in an undifferentiated or essentially undifferentiated state; b) expanding individualized cells of the population into clonal populations of cells; and c) selecting one or more clonal population of cells determined to have the ability to differentiate into a population that is at least about 50% homogeneous for either neural cell types, hepatocytes, or cardiomyocytes. Also disclosed are clonal populations of cells produced by the methods of the present invention, and methods of treating disease in subjects involving administration of clonal cells of the present invention to a subject. Methods of screening test compounds that involve contacting a test compound with a clonal population of cells produced by the methods of the present invention are also set forth.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a system for electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide, including: a reduction electrode unit to which carbon dioxide is supplied and including a metal-containing electrode; an oxidation electrode unit including a sacrificial electrode; and an electrolyte unit including an aprotic polar organic solvent and an auxiliary electrolyte, which is in contact with the reduction electrode unit and the oxidation electrode unit, and the carbon dioxide supplied to the reduction electrode unit is electrochemically reduced so as to produce an oxalate salt.